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Volume XXI November, 1951 Number 3
Inauguration
of
William Russell Strassner
as
The Sixth President
of
SHAW UNIVERSITY
Held in
The Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
Raleigh, North Carolina
November 16, 1951
Published six times the year in the months of February, March, May, July, October and November
Entered as second-class matter January 25, 19S2, at the post office at Raleigh, North Carolina,
under Act of August 21,, 1912,
Miss Shirley Virginia Shannon, recently elected "Miss Shaw,"
places a wreath on the grave of Dr. Henry Martin Tupper, during
cere?nonies in observance of the University's 86th anniversary. Miss
Shannon is a junior of Elizabeth City, N. C.
FOREWORD
Uf,
E ARE indeed pleased to take this opportunity to thank
the Institutions, Learned Societies, Alumni, Baptist Associations and
Women's Auxiliaries, Students and Friends for your attendance and
support during the activities in observance of Founder's Day and
the Inauguration of President William Russell Strassner as the Sixth
President of Shaw University.
We were pleased to have the living former presidents of Shaw
University, Dr. J. L. Peacock, Dr. W. S. Nelson and Dr. R. P. Daniel,
present and participate on the Inaugural program.
It was a pleasure for us to be of service to you during the In-
auguration and we sincerely hope that you enjoyed your stay on the
Campus during this occasion.
THE INAUGURAL COMMITTEE
H. C. Perrin, Chairman Max King
Eva F. Ray, Secretary G. E. Cheek
C. C. Spaulding C. L. Harrison
E. McNeil Poteat C. E. DeVane
L. E. McCauley C. M. Carter
0. S. Bullock Harry Gil-Smythe
Paul Johnson G. E. Jones
0. L. Sherrill Thomas Dunn
Ellen S. Alston Shirley Shannon
J. B. Davis Wilbert Nixon
The Reverend William R. Strassner, (left) who was inducted by
the Reverend Edwin McNeil Poteat, (right) as Shaw University's
sixth president in inaugural ceremonies held in Raleigh Memorial
Auditorium, November 16, 1951.
The Reverend William R. Strassner Is Installed
As Sixth President In Impressive Ceremonies
"Our immediate task is one of internal development," said President
William R. Strassner on the occasion of his inauguration as Shaw
University's sixth president. He also announced that an extensive study
and evaluation of all phases of the University program, including the
immediate objective of the institution, faculty status, curricular
offerings in the light of present needs, physical equipment, economic
resources, and student life activities, have been already entered upon.
The inauguration ceremonies were preceded by memorial services
on the Shaw east campus at the grave of Dr. Henry Martin Tupper,
the founder of the school. The exercises were held in the Raleigh
Memorial Auditorium at 11:00 o'clock a.m. Friday, November 16,
before an audience of approximately 2,000 persons.
Representatives from 52 colleges and universities 15 learned societies
and educational organizations over the country and 11 other organi-
zations attended the induction.
The charter of Shaw University was given to President Strassner
by the Reverend Edwin McNeil Poteat, vice-chairman of the board of
trustees; and Dr. L. E. McCauley, secretary, board of trustees present-
ed him with the seal of the University.
Presentation of the president elect was made by Dr. C. C. Spaulding,
chairman of executive committee, board of trustees ; and the Prayer
of Consecration by the Reverend J. Roy Clifford, Minister, First
Baptist Church, Lexington, North Carolina.
Commendations were given by three former presidents of Shaw
University, Dr. Joseph L. Peacock, 1920-1931; Dr. W. S. Nelson,
1931-36; and Dr. R. P. Daniel, 1936-1950.
Greetings were extended by the Rev. W. L. Wilson, State Vice
president of the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A.; Dr. N. C.
Newbold, on behalf of the National Education Association; the Rev.
W. Drew Varney, American Baptist Convention; Dr. Alphonso Elder,
president of North Carolina College at Durham; Dr. Clyde A. Erwin,
State Superintendent of Public Instruction; and the Rev. Paul A.
Bishop, president, General Baptist Convention of North Carolina.
President Strassner noted the achievements of Shaw University's
founder, and paid tribute to the four other presidents succeeding
Dr. Tupper by saying, "It is noteworthy that this occasion is graced
6 Shaw University Bulletin
with the presence of three former presidents of Shaw University
Dr. Peacock, who carried forward the building program of Dr.
Meserve by the addition of a modern science building and other
notable achievements." Dr. Nelson, whose selection as the first Negro
president marked the turning point in the history of the University,
during whose administration the supporting constituency of the institu-
tion was revived and greatly strengthened, general improvements of the
buildings and grounds was achieved, and the admission of the Uni-
versity to the group of colleges approved and supervised by
the Board of Education of the Northern Baptist Convention was
secured. Dr. Daniel, whose fourteen years of service brought further
development of the University in all phases of its facilities and
program. "Additional property and buildings at a cost exceeding
a half million dollars, reorganization of the academic program, personal
administration, and enlarged library services which secured "A"
rating by the Southern Association, an intensive in-service program of
training for ministers and religious workers, the designation of Shaw
University as the major objective of the Baptist State Convention
of North Carolina, and the location of the headquarters of the con-
vention on the campus — are other highlights of Dr. Daniel's administra-
tion."
"As the sixth president of Shaw University," President Strassner
continued, "I am conscious of the fact that I enter a stream of rich
heritage and a great tradition inherent in the history of the institu-
tion." "My first consideration will be for the welfare of the institution
and of those whom it seeks to serve, and the ideals for which the
University was founded shall be my constant goal." "I am sure that
the founder intended that Shaw University should be a Christian
college. Shaw University will remain a Christian institution."
The services were opened with prayer by Dr. Harold L. Trigg,
president, St. Augustine's College. The closing prayer was offered
by the Reverend M. C. Allen, President of Virginia Seminary and
College, Lynchburg, Virginia.
Music for the occasion was furnished by the Shaw University
Chorale Society, under direction of Professor Harry Gil-Smythe.
At the Founder's Day and Inaugural luncheon, held in the Uni-
versity dining hall, it was announced that Baptist organizations had
contributed $10,000 to Shaw University; and $4,500 was received from
the National Alumni Association, which represented a part of the
increment from the first 60 days of the Alumni Living Endowment
Fellowship.
Shaw University Bulletin 7
PROGRAM
Presiding The Reverend Edwin McNeill Poteat, Th.M., D.D.
Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Prelude — "Passacaglia" Cyril Scott
Harry Gil-Smythe, Director of Music
The Academic Procession — "Pomp and Circumstance" Elgar
Invocation Harold L. Trigg, M.A., Ed.D.
President, St. Augustine's College
Hymn — "God of Our Fathers"
"GOD OF OUR FATHERS"
God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.
Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;
Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,
Thy word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.
From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace
Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud and praise be ever Thine.
Amen
A LITANY OF THANKSGIVING
(Audience seated)
Leader: For the freedom which we enjoy this day in the worship of
God and the Eternal search for truth,
People: We thank Thee, Lord.
Leader: For the labors of those who have gone before us, in faith
and courage laying the foundations upon which we now
build,
People : We thank Thee, Lord.
Leader: For the many blessings that are ours in this present hour,
renewing in us hope and assurance,
People : We thank Thee, Lord.
8 Shaw University Bulletin
Leader: For the opportunities that lie open before us in the future,
and the challenge with which they comfort us,
People: We thank Thee, Lord.
Leader: For Thy continuing grace in Jesus Christ, the same yester-
day, today and forever, without whom we can do nothing but
in whom we can do all things,
People: We give Thee our heartfelt thanks, Lord, and pray that
in Thy mercy Thou wilt continue to bless and guide us in
that way of everlasting trust which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord. Amen.
Choral Response
Presentation of Delegates
Greetings:
National Education Association
N. C. Newbold, LL.D.
American Baptist Convention
The Reverend W. Drew Varney, A.B., B.D., D.D.
National Baptist Convention of the U.S.A., -Incorporated
The Reverend W. L. Wilson, A.B., B.D., State Vice-President
Colleges and Universities of North Carolina
Alphonso Elder, A.M., Ed.D., President of North Carolina College at
Durham
Public Schools of North Carolina
Clyde A. Erwin, Pd.D., Ed.D., State Superintendent of Public
Instruction
General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
The Reverend Paul A. Bishop, D.D., President
Music — "Great Day" ...Arranged by Warren Martin
The University Chorale Society
Greetings — Former Presidents of Shaw University:
Joseph Leishman Peacock, A.B., A.M., LL.D., 1920-1931
William Stuart Nelson, A.B., B.D., LL.D., 1931-1936
Robert Prentiss Daniel, A.B., A.M., Ph.D., LL.D., 1936-1950
Presentation of President Elect C. C. Spaulding, LL.D.
Chairman of Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, Shaw University
The Induction of the President
The Reverend Edwin McNeill Poteat, Th.M., D.D.
Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees, Shaw University
The Prayer of Consecration
The Reverend J. Roy Clifford, A.B., Th.M.
Minister, First Baptist Church, Lexington, North Carolina
Inaugural Address William Russell Strassner, A.B., B.D., S.T.M
President of the University
Shaw University Bulletin 9
Hymn — "Faith of Our Fathers"
"FAITH OF OUR FATHERS"
Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword,
how our hearts beat high with joy
Whenever we hear that glorious word!
Faith of our Fathers, holy faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our fathers, faith and prayer.
Have kept our country brave and free,
And through the truth that comes from God,
Her children have true liberty.
Faith of our fathers, we will strive
To win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
Mankind shall then indeed be free.
Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.
Amen
Special Announcements The Reverend 0. S. Bullock, D.D.
Minister, First Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina
Closing Prayer The Reverend M. C. Allen, D.D.
President of Virginia Seminary and College, Lynchburg, Virginia
The Recessional — "War March of the Priests" Mendelssohn
Invocation
By Dr. Harold L. Trigg, President Saint Augustine's College, Raleigh
Almighty God, on this day of destiny for a man and an institution,
we beseech Thee, with Thy gracious favor, to behold with kindness this
Thy servant as the mantle of the leader settles upon his shoulders.
Give him understanding for judgment; courage to face reality;
strength for the rigors of his task; patience in adversity; faith in
Thy power to comfort and heal; identity in purpose with Thy Law.
Bestow Thy blessings upon all those assembled here; and all those
who will labor with him; and all those who come to learn under his
guidance; and all those whose spiritual and material support are
essential to the life and continued effective work of this institution.
Endue them with unswerving loyalty; with oneness of purpose; with
the complete subordination of selfish interest to the good of the insti-
tution; and with the humility of greatness that they may look unto
Thee for guidance in all that they think, feel, say, and do.
Grant these supplications for the sake of him, Thy Son, the Great
Teacher, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
10 Shaw University Bulletin
GREETINGS
from the
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
November 16, 1951
By N. C. Newbold, A.M. LL.D.
Mr. Chairman, President-Elect Strassner, Members of the Board of
Trustees of Shaw University, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentle-
men:
Upon the request of the Chief Executive Officer of the National
Education Association, it affords me very keen pleasure to bring you
warm greetings from that great American organization. The National
Education Association of the United States was established in 1857 —
almost 100 years ago. Originally, it was known as the National Teach-
ers' Association. Later, it was chartered by Act of Congress as the
National Education Association.
Of this organization, we are told : "It is the only organization that
ties into one organic whole the local, state, departmental, and national
groups; the only organization that unites teachers, principals, and
superintendents, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and uni-
versities."
The emblem or symbol of the National Education Association is
a square. In the center is a smaller square with the words: "Educa-
tion Association." Above that is a hand grasping a torch — the light
of which extends beyond the top of the square. In a panel, at the bottom
of the large square, there is the word Local in large letters. In a
similar panel at the left, is the word State; at the right another panel
carries the word National; while in the top panel the word World is
inscribed.
Thus, the National Education Association, in this simple emblem
attempts to typify graphically the areas which it serves through
leadership in education in local, state, national, and world areas.
This association, so far as latest data available shows, is the largest,
most important, most influential, and the fastest growing such organi-
zation in the entire world. In the 94 years of its history, it now
has 445,000 individual members, and 850,000 affiliated members. It
has 52 state and 4,000 local affiliated associations; there are 32 de-
partments, 14 headquarters' divisions, and 24 commissions and com-
mittees.
Members of the staff of these 32 departments, 14 headquarters di-
visions, and 24 commissions and committees are always available
for service in local communities to assist in solving various kinds of
educational problems. Likewise, such services are available to the
52 State Education Associations throughout the United States and its
territories.
It is probably totally unnecessary to state here that the personnel
in these units of the National Education Association who are available
Shaw University Bulletin 11
for local service in the schools, colleges, and universities of the country
rank high among the most highly trained, skilled, expert leaders in
educational matters throughout America.
We speak here briefly, calmly, and dispassionately, about the
marvelously useful services rendered by this great association to
thousands of local communities, the counties and cities, the states
and our nation. It is not so easy to be unemotional when we come
to consider the fact that "N.E.A. influence circles the Globe," — that it
leads the world :
a. In building Unesco — The United Nations' Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization.
b. In supporting the United Nations itself.
c. In World Teachers Organization, and
d. In aiding overseas teachers.
President Strassner, Members of the Board of Trustees, and
friends of Shaw University, I am very happy to bring you the warmest,
most cordial greetings and good wishes for abundant success from
the National Education Association of the United States.
Greetings
The Reverend W. L. Wilson, State Vice President
National Baptist Convention of the U.S.A., Inc.
It was with profound pleasure that I greet you today on behalf
of the President of the National Baptist Convention, Dr. D. V.
Jemison, of Selma Alabama, who sorely regrets his inability to attend
this great occasion, and through me his expressions of appreciation
are given.
I bring greetings from the largest Negro Organization in the
world, which has a constituency of more than four million and is
represented by 43 states in the union.
It is a pleasure for me, on behalf of this great body to have a part
in the inauguration of a man of this type, the kind of men that the
world is in desperate need of. Men of sterling worth to meet the
needs of this desperate day — men of distinguished courage and moral
fiber, men who can triumph over difficulties, men with righteous
convictions, Godly purposes, faultless integrity, unquestioned righteous-
ness, unswerving perseverance, and unfaltering fidelity. We need men
of integrity. In spite of all the odious iniquity, revolting lewdness,
lamentable crookedness, dastardly dishonesty, unbridled greed, un-
believeable humbuggery, scandalous wickedness ; integrity and honesty
are the biggest words in the business world today. These two words
shine like diamonds in the mud and slime of a boggy world.
We need men to stand in the breach of institutions and make up the
walls. In many of our institutions blood has been mixed with the
mortar, sacrifices have been made for their establishment, and lives
12 Shaw University Bulletin
have been dedicated to their permanency. Because we feel that such
a man has been placed at the head of this institution, which was
established 86 years ago, we the President and four million members
who make up the National Baptist Convention U.S.A., Inc., do heartily
greet you on this memorable occasion.
If we would build again
And build to stay
We must find God
And go His way.
Greetings
Dr. P. A. Bishop, President
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
Mr. Chairman, Reverend Strassner, Honored Guests, Friends:
As we come together today to inaugurate the sixth President of
Shaw University, we are glad that the Baptist group of North Carolina
has played a very great part in the history-making of the oldest Negro
College in the South. Ever since its founding by Henry Martin Tupper,
86 years ago, the influence and usefulness of Shaw University have
been felt throughout the nation. Her sons and daughters scattered
even to far distant places have by their lives and work shown the
true value of religious education. During these 86 years the Baptist
forces have co-operated in such a way that it would be impossible to
write the history of our University without including the Baptists of
North Carolina.
President Strassner, you have come to pilot the ship of this great
University in a very crucial time but, "who knoweth that thou art
come to the kingdom for such a time as this."
The trustees of Shaw University underwent a terrific struggle
when trying to select our sixth president. Our plight was similar to the
plight of the patriot Abraham. When Abraham built the altar and
was ready to slay his own son, he looked and behold a ram was in the
bushes ready for the occasion. It had in all probability been there all
the time but was just over-looked by Abraham.
The trustees, after investigating and consulting many candidates
for the presidency of Shaw, saw the hidden lamb at the very last
moment, and we feel confident that President-Elect Strassner is cap-
able and able to carry our cherished institution forward.
I bring you greetings from over 1,750 Baptist Churches, 1,100
ordained ministers and over 300,000 Negro Baptists and feel safe in
saying that they all pledge to you sincere cooperation and hearty
support. We all love Shaw University and today we re-dedicate our lives
to its program of progress.
Shaw University Bulletin 13
Felicitations
By Dean Foster P. Payne
The Faculty of Shaw University
It is significant and unique that to-day we commemorate the
founding of Shaw University and the inauguration of its sixth presi-
dent. Here to witness and to participate in these observances, along
with friends who have come from near and far, are the three living
former presidents of the University. Over the years Shaw University
has been fortunate in its leadership. Its presidents have without ex-
ception been able men dedicated to the ideals and objectives of the
University. Each in his own time has wrought well, building, as it
were, his story. To-day we honor another builder.
On behalf of the Faculty and Staff, I have the honor and pleasure
of bringing greetings to Persident Strassner on the occasion of his
inauguration as the sixth president of Shaw University. He has been
one of us and on this day we rejoice with him and Mrs. Strassner in
the ceremonies marking his official induction into office. As his fellow
workers, we too accept the challenge which is his and rededicate our
efforts and desires to the realization of the objectives of the University.
In part, at least, we are aware of the hard work which lies ahead, of
the problems which we must face and solve, of the necessity for the
unquestioned loyalty and devotion of each member of our family.
Mr. President, we realize that as president, your relations with
us will be different from those when we knew you affectionately as
"Dean." However, we want you to know that through the years we
shall cherish you both as president and friend.
May your term of office be one filled with satisfaction in a job
well done. The Faculty and Staff are at your side. "Tomorrow to
fresh woods and pastures new."
14 Shaw University Bulletin
Presentation of President to Chairman of Board
By Dr. C. C. Spaulding
Mr. Chairman, I have the honor to present to you WILLIAM
RUSSELL STRASSNER, who has been duly chosen by the Trustees
of this Institution to be its sixth president. We deem him a worthy
successor to the noble men who have builded themselves into the
structure that is Shaw University and who have fostered here the
ideal of religious education in the belief that through such training
the fullness of living is achieved.
President Strassner is a native of Arkansas and received his
literary training in that state, graduating from the Arkansas Baptist
College, Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1925 with highest honors. He
then went to Virginia Union University, Richmond, Virginia, from
which institution he received the degree of Bachelor of Divinity in
1928. While at Union he won the National Colver Prize Scholarship
for two successive years. The Reverend Strassner then accepted the
call to the pastorate of the Mount Zion Baptist Church, Charlottes-
ville, Virginia, and after serving one year was given a leave of absence
in order to take advantage of a Fellowship granted by the John F.
Slater Foundation to do further graduate study at Andover Newton
Theological Institution, Boston, Massachusetts, from which he received
the degree of Master of Sacred Theology in 1932. He was chosen
by the faculty of Andover Newton to deliver the class address at the
graduation exercises, the only Negro who had received such honor
from this New England Seminary. He then returned to the Charlottes-
ville Church and continued his ministry there for six years.
After a highly successful pastorate in Virginia, he accepted the
position as Dean of Religion at Bishop College, Marshall, Texas, in
1938, and served in that capacity for six years. While at Bishop College,
he was given the technical duties of the President of the institution
while President Joseph J. Rhoads was away on leave.
At the invitation of Dr. Robert P. Daniel, President Strassner came
to Shaw University to assume the duties as dean of the School of
Religion in 1944.
As President Strassner joins the ranks of young Negro college
executives who are meeting the challenge of the times in an inspiring
manner, the Trustees, Alumni, and his many friends throughout the
country, as well as his co-workers, are confident that he will add
achievement and prestige to the cause of education as President of
Shaw University.
I, therefore, request, on behalf of the Trustees, that you signify
President Strassner's assumption of the authority and dignity which
appertain to the presidential office, by appropriate ceremonies of in-
duction and investiture.
Shaw University Bulletin 15
Statement of Induction
By The Reverend Edwin McNeill Poteat
William Russell Strassner
It is my responsibility to induct you into the office to which you
have been elected by the Board of Trustees. You have been called to a
grave responsibility. Education is the process of leading out; in-
doctrination is the process of leading in. Education leads in the direc-
tion of freedom; indoctrination tends ultimately to despotism. Each
of these forces is at work today and the destiny of the world may
be said to rest on the victory of the former over the latter.
You are recognized as the head of an educational institution. Your
responsibility will be to lead young men and women out of anxiety
into confidence, out of ignorance into wisdom, out of awkardness into
skill, out of darkness into light.
But this is a Christian educational institution. This places an even
higher and heavier obligation upon you for if in leading men and women
out into richer and more productive experience, you fail to lead them in
the Way, and the Truth, and the Light, Who for us is Jesus Christ,
they will fall short of the true freedom to which we are called in
Christ Jesus.
As vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees of Shaw University I
hereby induct you into the office of President, and bespeak for you
the generous support of all lovers of education, and the confidence and
cooperation of all who love the great institution that has appointed
you its head. I hand you, herewith the Charter of Shaw University and
bespeak God's blessing upon you.
Presentation of Seal
By Dr. L. E. McCauley, Trustee
Mr. President:
Representing the secretary of the Board of Trustees, Dr. John P.
Turner, I give you the custody of the seal of Shaw University and
invest you with the right to use it, or authorize its use, in all trans-
actions requiring such official certification of the University.
16 Shaw University Bulletin
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
WILLIAM RUSSELL STRASSNER
November 16, 1951
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Board of Trustees, Distinguished
Guests, and Friends of Shaw University:
I am deeply appreciative of the tributes and cordial greetings
expressed here today, and I am profoundly conscious of the great
responsibility which I assume in connection with the presidency of
Shaw University. I humbly accept this responsibility as a sacred trust,
and pledge faithful performance of the duties involved to the best of my
ability. The welfare of the institution and of those whom it seeks to
serve shall be my first consideration, and the ideals for which the
University was founded shall be my constant goal.
It is note-worthy that this occasion is graced with the presence
of three former presidents of Shaw University: Dr. Peacock, who
carried forward the building program of Dr. Meserve by the addition
of a modern science building and other notable achievements. Dr.
Nelson, whose selection as the first Negro president marked the turn-
ing point in the history of the University. During his administration
the supporting constituency of the institution was revived and greatly
strengthened, general improvement of the buildings and grounds was
achieved, and the admission of the University to the group of Negro
colleges approved and supervised by the Board of Education of the
then Northern Baptist Convention was secured. Dr. Daniel, whose
fourteen years of service brought further development of the Uni-
versity in all phases of its facilities and program: Additional property
and buildings at a cost exceeding one-half million dollars ; reorganiza-
tion of the academic program, personnel administration, and enlarged
library services which secured "A" rating of the institution by the
Southern Association ; an extensive in-service program of training for
ministers and religious workers, the designation of Shaw University
as the major objective of the Baptist State Convention of North
Carolina, and the location of the headquarters of the convention on
the campus, are other high lights of Dr. Daniel's administration. These
distinguished servants of Shaw University have made, each in his
turn, immeasurable contributions to its growth and progress, and
their presence here today is indicative of their abiding interest in
its welfare. My request of them is the request that Elisha made of
Elijah whom he succeeded to the prophetic office, "Let a double
portion of thy spirit be upon me."
As the sixth president of Shaw University I am conscious of the fact
that I enter the stream of a rich heritage and a great tradition inherent
in the history of the institution.
Shaw University was born out of an intense passion to meet the
needs of a struggling race. The period surrounding 1865 was a critical
one in our national and racial history; the nation had been torn by
Shaw University Bulletin 17
internal conflict, and the Negro race was struggling to adjust itself
to the responsibilities of freedom into which it had been so recently
thrust. The days were dark, but there were foregleams of the dawn.
The torchlight of hope was brought by those heroic souls who came
into the South and established schools for the Freedmen. Among those
who came was Henry Martin Tupper, the founder of Shaw University.
Dr. Tupper was a native of Monson, Massachusetts. He was reared
in a humble rural home and, because of the limited economic status of
his parents, he experienced difficulty in obtaining his education. In
spite of the responsibility of self-support he finished Monson Academy,
graduated from Amherest College in 1859, and from Newton Theo-
logical Institution in 1862, the same institution from which I gradu-
ated seventy years later. Heeding the call for young men "to carry
the musket" he entered the Union Army, July 14, 1862. As a chaplain
he held religious services for his men and to these meetings Negro
slaves came in large numbers. Tupper saw their need, he had compas-
sion upon them, and out of this experience he heard the call to a higher
service; and so, when the war was over, and the smoke of battle had
cleared away, he settled in Raleigh with his bride, Mrs. Sarah B.
Tupper, October 10, 1865. He did this contrary to the advice of his
comrades that he should return to the safety of his New England
home. He was commissioned by the American Baptist Home Mission
Society as a missionary to the Freedmen. On December 1, 1865 he
organized a theological class in the old Guion Hotel which was situated
where the State Museum now stands. As "great oaks from little acorns
grow" so from this small beginning Shaw University was to grow
into a great institution of learning for generations yet unborn.
The years that immediately followed were filled with the experience
of arduous toil, great personal sacrifice, ridicule, and even threats of
death; but, driven by an irresistable passion for service, his faith,
courage, and fortitude never failed, for "he counted not his life dear
unto himself that he might lift Godward his brother."
C. N. Hunter, in an address entitled "Dr. Henry Martin Tupper As
I Knew Him," delivered on the occasion of the Semi-centennial celebra-
tion of the founding of Shaw University, May 10, 1916, says:
"I regarded Mr. Tupper as an evangel of righteousness
and liberty commissioned by high heaven to the performance
of a great work among our people. As I remember him in those
early days, he was always optimistic, courageous, confident.
He seemed to have had no thought of difficulty, no fear of
danger, no calculation of consequences to himself."
Shaw University was born of the spirit of service. It is therefore
the purpose of Shaw University not to prepare young men and women
primarily to make a living, but rather to make a life, a life of service
to mankind. We pass on to them the heritage of society in order that
they may in turn enrich the life of society, make the lot of mankind
better, and lift the group to higher levels of living. As Rabbi Silver
says: "The full and free unfoldment of personality, which is life's
chief goal, is impossible without projecting our lives into the lives
18 Shaw University Bulletin
of others, and without linking our destiny with the destiny of the
advancing life of mankind."
Through the years this institution has sent forth thousands of
young men and women with the basic equipment for educational,
professional, social, and religious service to people across the nation
and in foreign fields. The spirit of Shaw is the spirit of service, and
may that spirit never die !
The institution has been nurtured and maintained by the sacrificial
gifts of devoted friends inspired by the spirit of Tupper himself. In
a letter to Dr. J. S. Backus, corresponding secretary of the American
Baptist Home Mission Society, dated March 1, 1886, Dr. Tupper wrote :
"We have purchased a building lot in a pleasant part of the
city. I have advanced the money to pay for it (my savings
while a soldier.) Someone must make sacrifices — I am on the
field and see the need and cannot withhold."
Under the inspiration of this spirit of unselfishness, friends through-
out the country came to the rescue. Among the early individual donors
history records the names of Andrew Porter, one of the founders of
Holyoke College, $100.00; Elijah Shaw who, in response to Dr.
Tupper's appeal, said, "I would mortgage the roof over my head to help
Tupper," gave $5,000.00 toward the erection of Shaw Hall; Jacob
Estey, $8,000.00 which made possible the building of Estey Hall, the
first school building of considerable size in the South solely for the
accommodation of colored women in their Christian development
and education; the Honorable O. H. Greenleaf who made possible
the hall that bears his name; Judson Wade Leonard whose gift of
$15,000 brought into being Leonard Hall in which the Medical School
was located ; John D. Rockefeller, $25,000.00 for the heating plant
and his later support of the General Education Board which to date has
made grants to Shaw University totaling nearly one-half million
dollars.
Philanthropic institutions have, by their generous support, shown
their faith in Shaw University. The chief benefactor was the American
Baptist Home Mission Society; others were the John F. Slater Fund,
the Board of Education of the American Baptist Convention, the
Phelps-Stokes Foundation, the Home Mission Board of the Southern
Baptist Convention, and the Women's Missionary Union of North
Carolina which makes a significant contribution annually to our
program of religious training. Such gifts are not meaningful simply
because of their material benefit to the institution but rather because
they are indications of faith in Shaw University and in Christian
education for Negro youth.
Since the time when the Negro students went out with Tupper
into the forest to cut the timber for the first frame building, and
when they moulded with their hands the bricks of clay for the first
permanent structure, Negroes also have contributed sacrificially to the
support of Shaw University. They did not give out of their abundance,
for they had no abundance from which to give, but out of their
Shaw University Bulletin 19
poverty, small earnings, and meager savings, they gave much. Such
gifts have come from individuals, churches, district associations, and
conventions, alumni, the Women's Missionary and Educational Con-
vention of North Carolina, and, in very recent years, from the United
Negro College Fund which is increasingly becoming one of the
chief sources of help for Negro colleges. It is of significance that
Shaw University is the one educational objective of the one Baptist
State Convention of North Carolina; and in this connection we are in
the strategic position to make our school second to none among the
church-related colleges for Negro youth. We must rise to this challenge
and opportunity; for in proportion as we help ourselves do we merit
the help of others.
Through the years Shaw University has been guided by the in-
spiration of its great objectives: "That religion and learning may go
hand in hand and character grow with knowledge." On the seal of
the University are the Latin words "Pro Cristo et Humanitate,"
for Christ and Humanity. In a letter to Dr. Tupper written by Dr.
J. S. Backus, July 13, 1866, is the following statement:
"May the day come when all the colored people in North
Carolina will be Baptists — well-educated, whole-souled, pure-
minded, full-grown, peaceable, and prosperous Baptists,
everyone true to every other one, and all true to God."
I am not sure that we shall ever realize that objective insofar as
denominational affiliation of the colored people of North Carolina
is concerned, but I am sure that the founder and early supporters
intended that Shaw University should be a Christian institution. In
this respect it is similar to the Christian spirit and purpose that ob-
tained in the founding of the earliest colleges in America. The begin-
nings of higher education in the United States were under church
auspices and the Christian college has made an abiding contribution
to our democratic way of life.
In view of the rise and growth of state colleges and universities,
and the development of small private colleges into great institutions of
learning, the question is often raised as to the continued value of the
small Christian college. The answer depends upon how well it can
exercise the functions of liberal education. Can it perform these
functions for a limited enrollment as well, or better, than the large
tax-supported schools? The small college cannot compete with the
state universities in the wide range of courses, the various fields of
specialization, the expensive equipment, or in the relatively low cost
to the individual student. But it is free from the restraints which these
factors impose. It can maintain its own standards of admission, it
can develop a spirit of community and close relationship between
faculty and students, it can provide the kind of environment that is
conducive to the well-rounded growth and development of youth; and,
if well founded, it can insure a strong faculty and a sound program
of liberal education.
While the Christian college must be careful to avoid narrow sectarian
indoctrination, it cannot ignore the essential elements of our Christian
20 Shaw University Bulletin
heritage if the education it offers is truly liberal. The Christian tradi-
tion is woven into the fabric of our culture and has been a great
influence in its development. The Christian emphasis upon the essential
worth of every human being, and upon the possibility of a more abund-
ant life for all, has made a significant contribution to our concept
of human freedom and democracy. The Christian college can, without
hesitation, point out to its students those moral standards, values,
and ideals which promise the greatest freedom of mind and spirit.
More deeply, the uniqueness of the Christian college does not inhere
merely in the fact that it is the object of church support, offers
courses in religion, provides religious services in its program of campus
activities, or requires that members of the faculty shall have church
affiliation ; but rather in the fact that its basic philosophy of education
is Christian, that it recognizes the unity of truth; and that its dis-
ciplines, in whatever field, are taught within the Christian frame of
reference. The provision of education in such an environment will
develop the type of men and women whom the world needs today, and
will make for integrated, useful, and creative living. Shaw University
must ever remain a Christian institution with a well trained faculty
and a sound educational program. To this end I unreservedly com-
mit myself.
I have mentioned briefly some of the facts indicated in the history of
Shaw University, namely, (1) Its birth out of an intense passion to
meet the needs of a struggling race, (2) Its nurture by the sacrificial
gifts of devoted friends, and (3) Its guidance by the inspiration of
great objectives.
Of these the institution must never lose sight if it would be true
to the faith of our fathers. From these we should derive patience,
courage, and a sense of direction for the difficult times through which
we are passing today.
We are in the grip of a world crisis the outcome of which no one
can predict; the military situation, the spiral of inflation, the decline
in interest rates on already small endowments, and the general
feeling of insecurity have greatly affected the small college. Enrollments
are depleted, retrenchment is necessary in all areas, and we face the
struggle, not only of maintaining our educational program at a high
standard, but, possibly, the struggle for survival itself ! It is imperative,
therefore, that we face courageously the problem of support for the
small private and church-related college; their contribution to American
society has been so significant, and the education which they provide
is so essential that they must be maintained as a strong and vital
force for the welfare of society and the enrichment of life. This applies
especially to the Negro colleges, notwithstanding the recent trend
toward integration by many state institutions in the South. In this
connection, Mr. Charles Dollard, president of the Carnegie Foundation
of New York, speaking at the recent Convocation of the United Negro
College Fund in Detroit, made the following observation, among
others :
Shaw University Bulletin 21
1. That 73 per cent of our Negro youth live in the 17 states
of the South.
2. That in 1950 only one per cent of the total Negro popula-
tion of college age were enrolled in the colleges and uni-
versities lying north of the Ohio and west of the
Mississippi.
3. That if for the next several decades Negroes are to have
any reasonable opportunity for higher education, that op-
portunity must be provided by Negro colleges located in
in the South, and
4. That this opportunity will not be adequate unless these
schools are greatly strengthened.
I feel keenly the need for providing this reasonable and adequate
opportunity for the young men and women who enroll at Shaw
University, and for strengthening the institution in all areas of its life
and service.
We do not envision any further expansion of our physical plant
within the fore-seeable future, my distinguished predecessors have left
us amply provided for in that area. Our immediate task is one of
internal development.
We have already entered upon an intensive study and evaluation of all
phases of our University program, including the immediate objectives
of the institution, facidty status, curricidar offerings in the light of
present day needs, physical equipment, economic resources, and stu-
dent life and activities. Upon the basis of this study we shall address
ourselves to a program designed to give added strength and stability
to the institution for its task of providing the best possible education
for our youth.
Shaw University had its birth in a time of crisis, and during the
eighty-six years of its existence it has survived conditions that try
men's souls — periods of war and economic depression, of doubt and
uncertainty; but the shadows have always been interspersed with the
light of hope, for there were those who had faith in its basic purpose
and in its high destiny. It is with that faith that we face the future
unafraid.
I terminate this address with a word to the various groups within the
Shaw Family and community:
1. To the students: You are part of a great fellowship; others
have toiled and sacrificed ; you reap the fruit of their labor. Here
you have the opportunity for the development of your possibilities and
powers, the widening of your social vision, and the heightening of
your ideals; and this, within the environment a Christian tradition
to the end that you may make the best adjustment to life and render
your best service to society. Make the most of your opportunity.
2. To the faculty: You are workers together in a great cause,
the cause of Christian education for Negro youth. You have come from
many backgrounds of education and rich experience, and in proportion
as you share that education and experience to enrich the lives of
22
Shaw University Bulletin
others, does life become worthwhile and meaningful for you. Your
task is unlike that of a sculptor who carves from a block of marble
the figure that exists in his own imagination; you work with the
plastic minds of inquiring youth; yours is the task of developing
character and shaping the lives of young men and women whose
influence for good must bless the world. Be true to your sacred trust.
3. To the Alumni: You are the sons and daughters of a great
institution. Your Alma Mater has made you what you are, and has
imbued you with the spirit of service to mankind. She glories in
your achievements, and is ever solicitous of your welfare. In return
she asks for your increasing loyalty and cooperation to the end that
she may send forth other sons and daughters to join hands with you
in the struggle for a better world.
4. To the Trustees, men and women from the various walks of
life, stewards of a rich heritage, guardians of our welfare : To you we
look for guidance, wise counsel, and direction in our overall program in
the light of our ideals and purposes and in our relationship to the world
around us.
And so, working together as one great family we shall move forward
with undaunted courage, and with faith in God for our common
cause of Christian education at Shaw University.
William R. Strassner
Shaw University Bulletin 23
Luncheon Program
ONE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON
UNIVERSITY DINING HALL
Dr. J. B. Davis, Presiding
Vice President, Shaw University National Alumni Association
Invocation and Blessing The Reverend J. R. Manly
Rock Hill Baptist Church, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Felicitations :
Mr. G. H. Ferguson
Director, Division of Negro Education
Mr. A. H. Anderson
President, North Carolina Teachers' Association
J. M. Ellison, Ph.D.
President, Viriginia Union University
The Reverend E. D. McCreary
Minister, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Virginia
Mrs. Foy J. Farmer
Women's Missionary Union of North Carolina
Mrs. M. A. Horne
President, Women's Baptist Missionary and Educational Conven-
tion of North Carolina
The Reverend Otis Dunn, B.D.
President, Theological Alumni Association of Shaw University
The Reverend E. C. Lawrence
The Ministerial Alliance of Raleigh
Dean Foster P. Payne
The Faculty of Shaw University
Mr. Thomas Dunn
President, The Student Body of Shaw University
Special Announcements :
The Reverend G. E. Cheek
Executive Secretary, National Alumni Association of Shaw Uni-
versity
<¥> <¥> <¥>
President and Mrs. W. R. Strassner
at Home
to
Alumni, Faculty, Students and Friends
Six to Nine o'clock
816 South Wilmington Street
24 Shaw University Bulletin
Seventy-Eight Colleges and Organizations Greet
Shaw President At His Inauguration
Among the many delegates from Colleges and Universities were
twenty-two college presidents, several deans, professors and other
officers, who brought greetings to the newly-installed president
William R. Strassner. Delegates brought messages from the following
institutions :
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire; University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill; Andover Newton Theological School, Newton
Centre, Mass.; Wake Forest College, Wake Forest; Union Theological
Seminary, New York, N. Y. ; Davidson College, Davidson ; Guilford
College, Guilford College; Duke University, Durham; Colgate-Roches-
ter Divinity School, Rochester, N. Y. ; Lincoln University, Lincoln
University, Pa. ; Michigan State College, Lansing Mich. ; Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky. ; Atlanta University,
Atlanta, Ga. ; Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va. ; Barber-
Scotia College, Concord; Howard University, Washington, D. C. ;
Morehouse College, Atlanta, Ga. ; Morgan State College, Baltimore,
Md. ; Saint Augustine's College, Raleigh ; Talladega College, Talladega,
Ala.; Hampton Institute, Hampton, Va. ; Peace College, Raleigh;
Bennett College, Greensboro; Knoxville College, Knoxville, Tenn. ;
Fayetteville State Teachers College, Fayetteville ; Livingstone College,
Salisbury ; Paine College, Augusta, Ga. ; Virginia State College,
Petersburg, Va. ; Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta, Ga. ; Hood
Theological Seminary, Salisbury; Campbell College, Buie's Creek;
Pembroke State College, Pembroke.
Pfeiffer Junior College, Misenheimer; Saint Paul's Polytechnic
Institute, Lawrenceville, Va. ; Virginia Theological Seminary and
College, Lynchburg, Va. ; North Carolina State College of Agriculture
and Engineering, Raleigh; Elizabeth City State Teachers College,
Elizabeth City; Lenoir Rhyne College, Hickory; Meredith College,
Raleigh; The Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina,
Greensboro; Winston-Salem Teachers' College, Winston-Salem; The
Fort Valley State College, Fort Valley, Ga. ; Flora MacDonald College,
Red Springs ; Voorhees School and Junior College, Denmark, S.C. ;
Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Fla. ; East Carolina Teach-
ers College, Greenville; North Carolina College at Durham, Durham;
Southern University, Scotlandville, La. ; Washington Baptist Seminary,
Washington, D. C. ; Presbyterian Junior College, Maxton; Black
Mountain College, Black Mountain; and Bible Training Institute,
Goldsboro.
Shaw University Bulletin 25
Delegates from Learned Societies
and
Educational Organizations
United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa (1776)
Carlton P. West, A.B., B.S. in L.S., A.M.
National Education Association (1857)
Nathan Carter Newbold, LL.D.
North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction (1S68)
Clyde A. Erwin, Ph.D., Ed.D.
Superintendent
Division of Negro Education of the State Department of Public Instruction of
North Carolina
S. E. Duncan, A.B., M.A., Ph.D.
Supervisor of Negro High Schools
American Chemical Society (1876)
F. H. Smith. B.S., M.S.
American Library Association (1876)
Harlan C. Brown. A.B., B.S., M.A.
North Carolina Teachers' Association (1881)
A. H. Anderson. A.B., M.A.
American Mathematical Society (1888)
Marjorie Lee Browne, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (1889)
Walter F. Anderson
Board of Education and Publication of the American Baptist
Convention (1889)
The Reverend W. Drew Varney, A.B., M.A., D.D.
American Association of University Professors (1915)
J. S. Doolittle, B.S., M.S.
Association of American Colleges (1915)
Carlyle Campbell, A.B., A.M., LL.D.
American Council on Education (1918)
Harold L. Trigg, Ed.D. (hon)
National Association of Deans of Women and Advisers to Girls in Negro
Schools (1929)
Ann Hawkins
Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society (1937)
Martha W. Wheeler. B.S.. M.S.
Other Organizations Represented
American Baptist Convention
American Baptist Home Mission Society
National Baptist Convention of the U.S.A., Incorporated
Baptist District Associations and Conventions
Women's Baptist Home and Foreign Missionary Convention of North
Carolina
Women's Missionary Union of North Carolina
National Alumni Association of Shaw University
Theological Alumni Association of Shaw University
North Carolina Board of Public Welfare
Ministerial Alliance of Raleigh
26 Shaw University Bulletin
Shaw's Presidents
HENRY MARTIN TUPPER, A.B., B.D., D.D.
1865-1893
CHARLES FRANCIS MESERVE, A.B., A.M., LL.D.
1893-1919
JOSEPH LEISHMAN PEACOCK, A.B., A.M., D.D.
1920-1931
WILLIAM STUART NELSON, A.B., B.D., D.D.
1931-1936
ROBERT PRENTISS DANIEL, A.B., A.M., Ph.D.
1936-1950
WILLIAM RUSSELL STRASSNER, A.B., B.D., S.T.M.
1951-
Shaw Supporters Make Large Presentation
At the Founder's Day-Inaugural Exercises on November 16,
churches, alumni, and individuals made financial presentations to the
University totaling $14,842.33. Of this amount the Shaw Alumni
raised $5,313.30. All alumni classes from 1886 to 1951 reported con-
tributions with the exception of classes of 1902, 1903, 1917, 1919, and
1923. Churches and religious organizations reported $9,529.03.
The Alumni Living* Endowment Fellowship
The alumni Living Endowment Fellowship was established Septem-
ber 15, 1951. Loyal alumni and Christian friends everywhere are
welcome to join the Endowment Fellowship. When you join the Living
Endowment Fellowship you become a unit in the Endowment, and
whatever you give is the increment from that unit.
The Shaw clubs are stimulating great interest in the Endowment
Fellowship. An analytical report will be given of club activities and
individuals after the end of the fiscal year, December 30, 1951.
Shaw University Bulletin 27
The Annual University Alumni Award
For the past three years, at the May Commencement exercises,
Shaw University has presented to an outstanding alumnus the Annual
Alumni Award. Mr. W. C. Craver of Houston, Texas received the
award in 1949; Prof. C. F. Graves of Elizabeth City, North Carolina,
in 1950; and Dr. John P. Turner of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in
1951.
Selection of an alumnus to receive the Award is made by a Com-
mittee on Alumni Award from nominations sent in by any alumni
group, any member of the Executive Committee of the Alumni Associa-
tion, or any member of the University Administration. The Committee
then recommends the individual to the Board of Trustees for the
Award.
The Committee on Alumni Award is now receiving nominations for
a recipient for the Alumni Award in May, 1952. A letter of nomina-
tion may be sent for any alumnus who meets the following qualifica-
tions :
a. one who is singularly outstanding in his community
b. one who has made a unique contribution of such importance
to his community, state, or nation, as to merit public
recognition
The letter of nomination should include information concerning
the training of the nominee; the service he has rendered to and the
achievement he has reached in his community; his past and present
positions of responsibility; and any honors which have been accorded
him.
Letters should be addressed before February 15 to
Reverend G. E. Cheek, Alumni Secretary
Shaw University
Raleigh, North Carolina
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